Electric waffle iron



Dec. 11; 1928. 1,694,981

C. P. RANDOLPH ELECTRIC WAFFLE IRON Filed Aug. 23, 1926 Ff l. 34 2 3/ 5033 26 /0 23 UH!- I I IH HHJ Inventor: Charles F! Randolph,

His Attorney.

- the adjacent surfaces of the twoplates are Patented Dec. 11,1928;

oHAR ns'r. RANDOLPH, 01? OAK PARK, ILLINOIS,/ASSIG1\TOR To EDISONELEoTRId APPLIANCE COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION or NEW/YORK.

ELECTRIC WAFFLE inon.

Application filed August 23, 1926. Serial No. 130,810.

My invention relates to electric waflie irons and has for its ob ect theprovlsion of a s1mple, reliable and eflicient device of this type.

For a more complete understanding of my invention reference should behad to the ac-. companying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation viewpartly in sectionof a wattle iron embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is aplan view also partly in section of the device shown in Fig. 1.; whileFigs. '3 and 4; are fragmentary views showing the details of construcption.

Referring to the drawing, in carrying out my invention in one form Iprovide two wattle iron cooking plates or molds 10 and 11 wh1ch arepivotally connected together by means of two spaced hinges 12 and 13.These two plates are preferably cast from a suitable metal having goodheat conductivity, such as aluminum. They are identical in construction,the lugs 14 and 15.. on each plate, form ing the hinged connections, arecast integral with the plates and are provided with one and two hingemembers respectively so that when the plates are. placed together faceto face in inverted relation a single hinge member on one plate fitsbetween the two spaced hinge members on the other plate thus forming thetwo hinges. Vertically elongated apertures for the pivot pins of thehinges are provided whereby the upper plate maybe lifted in parallelrelation with the lower by the cook ing of the waflie. It will beunderstood that provided with the usual waflie mold protuber ances 16.These protuberances are preferably hollow, whereby depressions 17 areformed in the backs of theplates, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The lower which is provlded'with legs 19 forming supports for the wafiieiron: A somewhat similar casing or cover 20 is provided for the up perplate 10. At intervals around the pe riphery' of the plates are lugs. 21provided with tapped holes and the casings 18 and 20 are secured to theplates by screws 22 fitting in these tappedholes As shown the casingsare secured at three vequally distant points around the periphery ofthe. plates one of these points being directly opposite the hinges 3 12and 13. v At this latter point a much longer screw 23 is used for 'theiupper plate 10, whichscrew extends through a handle 24 for the upperplate, thus securing both the hanlate 11 rests in a casing 18' dle andcasing to the plate at this point.

Each of the plates is provided with aldge 25 around its periphery onwhich thecasing is seated. At the back the casings are cut away so as tofit closely ing lugs of the hinges.

The two plates 10 and 11 are heated by means of electric heating units26 and 27 rearound the project spectively which are secured against thebacks of the plates by means of clamping plates 28 and 29. The clampingplates are circular in outline and formed with equally spaced radiallyextending ribs 30. As shown eight of these radial ribs are provided ineach plate.

They are provided for the purpose of stifi'ening the plate and also tohold the mainbody of the plate in a spaced relation with the heatingunit, the plate being placed on the unit with the ribs in engagementwith it. Thisgreatly limits the conduction of heat to the plate. Eachclamping plate is secured to its corresponding waflie iron plate bymeans of a central screw 31which engages with a tapped bore formed in aprotuberance 32 cast in the ing plate is struck upward at the-centersome what in order to clear the projection-32. 7

While any suitable electrical heating unit may be used which is adaptedto be clamped against the back of the cooking plate, I have shown aheating unit of the sheathed type,

center of the wafiie iron plate. The clamp- I such is-described andclaimed in Patent No.

1,367,341 to Abbott dated February 1,1921.

This unit briefly comprises an outer-metallic sheath '33 in which ahelically. shaped resist-' ance wire 34 is embedded in a powdered heat.-ing refractory electrically insulating material such as magnesium oxide..The powdered insulating material is compacted to form an efficientconductor of heat. The heating units 26 and 27 consist of lengths ofthis sheathed resistance wire which are'bent in circular form and tosuch a diameter that the heating unit has the proper position withrespect to the periphery of'the wafl'le iron plate to give asubstantially even distribution of heat throughout the cooking surface,due

regard being given to the relatively free dissipation of heat from theperiphery of the cooking plate. The generation of heat is thus"concentrated in a relatively narrow zone around the plate. In order toproperly position the heating unit a plurality of projections 36, asshown four, are cast on the backof each plate in such positions that theheating unit fits loosely aroundthein and is. thereby positioned on thecooking plate. ing unit is further positioned by means of spaced tabs 37which are struck downward out of the clamping plate so as to loosely en-I gage the outer periphery of the heating unit.

Electrical connections for the two heating units are brought 111 at therear of the wafile 1101'1&(l]2LCE311l1 the hinges, the heating unitsbeing placed on the cooking plates in such position that their ends fromwhich terminals forthe resistance Wires'project are at the rearward orhingesides of the plates, Suitable electrical contact pins 38 and 39 aresecured to the lower casing '18 adjacent the hinges, these pins beingprotected by a suitable guard 40. Insulated electrical conductors 41 and42are led from these pins, which are insulated with respect to thecasing, to the lower heating unit 27. For the upper heating unit 26insulated conductors 43 "and 44 are led from the contact pins throughthe casing 18 adjacentthe lower side of. the hinge 13 thence through, aflexible conduit 45 upward to the upper side of the hinge 13 where theconductors enter the casing 20 and pass to the terminalsof the heatingunit 26. The flexible conduit 45 allows the upper plate to be liftedandlowered freely on its pivot. The conduit 45 is shown as being of aconstruction often used with armored conductors. It re---' semblessomewhat a helix of wire in construction and appearance, the helixpreferably being made of a specially formed strip so ai'-- ranged thatthe turns overlap and interlock Y internally.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, one of the hinge lugs on each wafile ironplate is provided with a semicircular recess or groove, forming a seatfor one end of the flexible conduit 45. Since the two ,plates, which areidentical in constructioii are secured together in inverted relation,this brings one recess at each hinge.

As shown, the lug on the upper plate forming 1 a part of hinge 12 isprovided w th a recess, 1 46 for the upper end of the conduit 45, whilethe lug on the lower wafile iron plate forming a part of hinge 13 isprovided with a similar recess for the lowerfend of the conduit.-

These recesses are provided with grooves or 4 threads in which fit theend turns of the conduit whereby the conduit is secured, the condiiitbeing held in the grooves and further secured by the casings 18 and 20,which are provided with recesses fitting closely around the conduit. Inorder to provide space for the connections each clainping' plate is cutaway in the vicinity of the terminals of the heating unit as indicatedby the reference numeral 48 (Fig. 2).

While Ihave described my invention as embodied in concrete form and asoperating in a specific manner in accordance with the provisions of thepatent statutes, t should be The heat-- understood that I do not limitmy invention thereto since various modifications thereof" will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritof my. invention, the scope of which is set forth in i the annexedclaims.

What I claim as newand desire to secure 'by Letters Patent of theUnitedfStates, is 2- 2.-An electricwafile iron comprising two cookingmembers, each of said members com prising. a cast metal waflle cookingplate, a sheathed electric heating unit on the back of said plate, aclamping plate for said heating unit provided with a central apertureand with a plurality of ribs forengagement with said heating unit, ascrew passing through 'said aperture in screw threaded engagement withthecenter of said cooking plate whereby said heating unit is clampedagainstzthe back of saidcooking plate, and a cover secured to saidcooking plate fitting over said heating unit and clamping plate inspaced relation therewith. V

' 3. An electric wafile iron comprising two cooking members, each ofsaid members comprising a cast metal waflie cooking plate, asingle-circular length of a sheathed electric heating. unit havingsubstantially the same outline as said plate but of lesser diameter,

unit on the back of said plate andprojections on the back of saidheating unit.

47. An electric wafile ironv comprising twocooking members, each of saidmembers comprising a cast metal waflle-cooking plate, a

a clamping plate for securing said heating plate for positioning saidsinglecircular length of a sheathed electric heating unit on the back ofsaid plate, a. clamping plate for said heating unit, said clampingplat-e being provided with a central aperture and witha plurality ofradial ribs in engagement with said heating unit, a screw passingthrough said aperture in of said cooking plate whereby said heating unitis clamped on said cooking plate, projections on the back of saidcooking plate and on said clamping platefor positioning said heatingunit, a cover secured to said cooking plate fitting over said heatingunit and clamping plate in spaced relation therewith.

5. an electric waflle iron comprising two cooking members, each of saidmembers coma .120 screw-threaded engagement with the center prising adisk-shaped cast metal wafile cooking plate, a circular sheathedelectric heating unit on the back of said plate, a circular clampingplate provided with a central aperture and with radial ribs engagingsaid heating unit at intervals, and a screw passing through saidaperture in screw-threaded engagement with the center of said cookingplate whereby said heating unit is clamped against the back of saidcooking plate.

6. An electric waffle iron comprising two pivotally connected cookingmembers, each of said members comprising a metal cooking plate havinghinge lugs secured directly thereto, one lug on each plate beingprovided with a recess, a flexible conduit extending between said plateshaving its ends secured in said recesses so that said conduit flexeswhen said plates are moved relatively on their pivot, heating units forsaid plates, and electrical connections passing through said conduit tothe heating unit for one of said plates. 7. An'electric wafile ironcomprising two pivotally connected cooking members, each of said memberscomprising a metal cooking plate having hinge lugs secured directlythereto, one lug of each plate being provided with a grooved recess, acoiled flexible conduit extending between said plates having a pluralityof coils at each end secured in said recesses so that said conduitflexes when the plates are moved relatively about their pivot, coversfor said plates securing said conduits in said recesses, heating unitsfor said plates,

and electrical connections passing through said conduit to the heatingunit for one of said plates.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of August,1926.

CHARLES P. RANDOLPH.

